Madly In Love
by DestructionDragon360
Summary: If Corrin were a rational person, he wouldn't dare let someone as deranged as Peri out of his sight! So, he doesn't. He also falls in love with her. Whoops.
1. Chapter 1: Naked Knife Fight

Chapter 1: Breaking up a Naked Knife Fight does not count as Reaching Second Base

=[Macarath]=

Corrin had known the consequences of siding with Nohr. He would be seen as a traitor to his family by blood, party to his mother's murder, and by all accounts, a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. But worse would have been the consequences of siding with Hoshido. His siblings in Nohr would be torn apart by his betrayal, and the country itself would suffer greatly if it were to lose the war. For all Hoshido's perceptions of a bloodthirsty and savage nation, Nohr was made of a people starving and desperate, and he would not contribute to their sorrow.

The consequences he had _not_ predicted were, among other things, the company he would find himself keeping among the ranks of Nohr.

"I'm feeling STABBY!" The cavalier with cotton candy hair cheered as she ran her lance into a Hoshidan samurai. Corrin felt his lips curl into a grimace as he saw the mad grin Peri was sporting as she ripped her spearhead out of the enemy's torso, tearing out a trail of gore as she did. He had to bite back the bile that rose in his throat at the sight.

"Do try not to get distracted, milord," Peri's smiling partner chimed in. At least Xander's second retainer wasn't quite so eccentric. "Her beauty may be captivating, but this is a battlefield."

Corrin squinted. "That is _not _why I was staring."

Laslow's smile turned to a smirk. "Ah, but you _were_ staring!"

"Eyes forward, soldier," the Nohrian prince growled.

[~~~]

After a full day of fighting through Ryoma's Hoshidan strike force, a merciful reprieve from the days-long siege of the Sevenfold Sanctuary, it was time for Corrin to address the elephant in the room.

"Hi, Corrin!"

The blue-and-pink haired, pig-tailed, bloodthirsty and stab-happy elephant in the room.

"Peri, do you know why I called you in here?" He asked, his fingers interlaced as he rested his chin over them.

"To tell me I did a good job in that fight?" Peri guessed cheerily.

"Not exactly."

"To teach you how to stab a guy's heart and rip it out in the same swing?"

"N-no, no."

Peri thought for a moment, before taking another shot. "To ask for a pie?"

Corrin blinked. "Why would I ask you for a pie?"

"I'm a whiz in the kitchen!" She flashed a bright smile.

"Well, I called you in to ask," Corrin had to choose his words carefully. "What responsibilities did you have as Xander's retainer?"

"I didn't have to do much of anything. Xander let me cut up all the bad guys I want, that's all!"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "So your only duties lay on the battlefield?"

"Or wherever bad guys show up! Like butlers, they're everywhere," Peri spat with disdain.

'_Note to self: Keep Peri away from Jakob,_' Corrin examined the notepad he'd kept for the conversation and frowned. "So, my brother essentially allowed you free rein. What disciplinary measures did he take if you made a mistake?"

Peri's face fell. "He'd get really mad and yell at me if I killed the wrong people. But it's not my fault! How am I supposed to tell who I can stab and who I can't?!" Peri's eyes watered, drawing small lines of mascara down her cheeks.

Corrin blanched, "And you… made that mistake often? Stabbing the wrong people?"

"Yep! Killing people's my favorite hobby! I'm just not very good at finding the right guys to do it on sometimes."

It took all of Corrin's mental strength not to give up then and there. He had suffered Iago's theatrics and followed Garon's insane orders, but this was too much. It was as though all of Hoshido's darkest nightmares of Nohrians were shoved into one person.

Well, she was still better than Hans.

"I'm going to level with you, Peri," Corrin began slowly. "I can't abide your… hobby, as my brother did. We can't have anyone in the army, or any locals in our area, being killed so wantonly."

Peri pouted, crying, "But why not?"

Corrin gave her a sharp look. "Because it's wrong, Peri. I don't know what Xander was thinking before, but from here on I will be keeping you under constant supervision to insure you don't make any more 'mistakes'."

Peri crossed her arms. "Well, this stinks. Who's going to be my dumb nanny anyway?"

Just as Corrin opened his mouth to answer, there was a knock outside his door. "Corrin, I brought a pot of tea! And I only had to make three trips this time!"

Corrin sighed softly, "Thank you, Felicia. Your diligence is appreciated, as always."

Felicia somehow managed to open the door without trouble, walking in with teapot and cups on a tray in her hand. "I'm just glad I didn't make too big a mess," she said with a nervous smile. "Jakob would have killed me if I had-EEK!" Felicia stepped one foot too close in front of the other and tripped over her own ankles, sending the tea flying across the room. Corrin sighed as he found himself once again drenched in the stuff. He was pretty sure at this point his armor would always smell faintly of chamomile. Peri, on the other hand, was less than enthused. The teapot had ended up dangling over her head, dripping tea down her front.

"Grrr… You spilled tea on me and hit me with the pot!" Peri threw the pot off her head, sending it clattering to the floor. "You know what I do to servants who do that?!"

Corrin had begun to rise from his seat as Felicia stammered, "N-no…?"

"_THWACK! _I'm busting your head open!"

"E-EEEEEEEK!" Felicia scrambled away, drawing her dagger to defend herself just as Corrin stepped in between them.

"Peri, this is exactly what I'm talking about! You cannot, under any circumstances, 'thwack' Felicia or anyone else, even if you have to be accompanied at all times to make sure you don't."

Peri seethed violently, eyes shifting between her commander and the target of rage rapidly. "Don't tell me you're gonna make _her_ my babysitter."

"_Gods_, no," he guffawed. "That would be a disaster waiting to happen!"

Eyes lighting up hopefully, Peri continued, "Can Lazzy do it? He's my best friend!" While Peri was momentarily distracted, Felicia ducked out of the room to fetch some towels.

Corrin shook his head, "No, he's almost as responsible for enabling you as my brother." He took a deep breath. There really wasn't anyone else he could trust with this job. "Peri, from this moment on, I'll be watching you myself."

=[Castle Krakenburg]=

Over the course of one month, Corrin had become accustomed to Peri's presence. War council meetings became a chore of reining in her childishness and keeping her quiet, so that he, Camilla, Kaze, and other officers he'd appointed could discuss strategy. Meals became… somewhat entertaining, as never a dull moment followed Peri's pension for antics. In one week alone he'd seen her chop a tomato into thin slices midair, she'd scared Arthur to tears with a furious scream when he tripped and landed in her pudding, and she'd managed to publicly shame Jakob by baking better cookies than him. And, unfortunately, time spent in solitude suddenly became a point of anxiety. Corrin felt himself needing to keep one ear open at all times in case any blood-curdling screams could be heard while he wasn't watching Peri. He'd almost felt he was driving himself crazy for nothing, until the time Selena ended up in a naked knife fight with her in the communal bath. He hadn't bothered to ask what had started the fight, as he was too busy trying to avert his eyes as he forcibly separated them.

Unfortunately, becoming accustomed to the circumstances did not always mean he would be always prepared for the consequences. Such as being 'graced'with Iago's presence with her at his side.

"Ah, Lord Corrin, I see you've returned to us safe and sound." Iago's face was twisted in a snide grin. "And Lady Peri, always a pleasure."

The way he actually seemed pleased to see Peri made Corrin want to punch him. Many things about Iago made Corrin want to punch him. Like his face. "Iago, how dreadful to see you again. I've a report to give to Father, if you don't mind." He not so subtly jerked his head to urge Iago to get out of his way.

"Hi, Iago!" Peri said with a smile and wave. Her innocent cheer wouldn't have been out of place with Elise, but even Nohr's Sunflower knew Iago was scum.

"I must say, Lady Peri, I'm quite surprised to find you in Lord Corrin's company. Has something happened to Lord Xander?" Iago's false concern was as slimy as his greased mane of hair.

"Nope! He just wanted me and Laslow fighting with Corrin. We had so much fun in Macarath!"

"Oh?" Iago looked to me with a knowing glance. "And what happened in Macarath?"

Of course Iago knew about the run-in with Ryoma. He probably tipped the Hoshidan army off in the first place. Putting Elise's life in danger and forcing him to face his brother again on the battlefield was exactly what would give the pompous 'strategist' his kicks.

Rather than giving Iago what he wanted, Corrin instead flashed as insincere a smile as he could manage. "Oh, nothing you need worry your greasy little head about, Iago. Make like a good parrot and fly back to your master's shoulder, will you?"

While Iago looked scandalized, Peri looked interested. "Oh, is Iago a bad guy? Can I stab him?"

Admittedly, watching the color drain from Iago's face was worth every moment of this dreadful conversation. "Not now, Peri. Come along," Corrin said as he continued on to the throne room.

As Peri fell in step beside him, Corrin cringed as Iago gathered himself enough to give one last remark. "I look forward to seeing the fruits borne of the company you keep, Lord Corrin! Lady Peri is quite a catch." Corrin had to bite down the desire to gag at the insinuation.

"Wow, I didn't think Iago liked me that much!" Peri says, pleasantly surprised. "And why not stab him? You clearly want to."

She's not wrong. "You're not wrong," Corrin admitted. "But there's a time and place for everything. Iago's time will come, I assure you."

Peri smiled, "I can't wait!"

For once, the girl's twisted grin wasn't an unwelcome sight. "Me too, Peri. Me too."

* * *

**A/N: **Come one, come all! Welcome to Madly in Love, a fic where Corrin is a reasonable person but falls in love with Peri anyways! Currently mirroring chapters 1 and 2 from Ao3 to here on .

What's that? No one wanted a Corrin/Peri fic in their lives? Well too bad! I'm the captain of this ship and I'm sailing off the map. HERE THERE BE DRAGONS AND THEY HOARD CRACK PAIRS


	2. Chapter 2: Corrin has ADHD

Chapter 2: Corrin has ADHD

"My son, I see you have returned." Garon sat on his throne, looking down the throne room as Corrin approached, his entourage in tow.

Corrin smirked, a familiar quirk to his lips. "Of course, Father. Did you expect I would have any trouble with the Hoshidan rabble?"

"Hm hm hm," Garon chuckled. "I heard from Iago you faced not one, but three of your Hoshidan siblings on your mission. And you faced them without trepidation." An unspoken accusation hung in the air.

Corrin rolled his shoulders. "They were competent generals, and retreated wisely when faced with the might of Nohr. Of course, there was no reason for me to dread their presence on the battlefield."

Peri perked up, "Yup! You shoulda seen the way he fought with Ryoma! He was all like 'Return to Hoshido!' _Crack, sizzle, lightning! _And Corrin was all like 'Never!' _Slash, stab, dragon noises!_"

"That's enough, Peri." Corrin pursed his lips. He didn't need his hanger-on making commentary.

Garon seemed amused by this. "Well, Peri, I'm surprised to see you with Corrin. Has Xander grown tired of the presence of a true Nohrian woman?"

Corrin nose twitched, before Peri replied, "Nope! He just wanted me and Lazzy working with Corrin instead. It's been super fun!"

Elise chimed in, saying, "And you'll never believe who we found! Big Sister Azura!"

Corrin resisted the urge to facepalm as his well-intentioned little sister ushered Azura forward, despite her obvious discomfort. "Elise, you're my sister, and I love you," he said slowly. "Do you remember what I told you back in the Ice Tribe?"

Elise blinked. "Leave the introductions to you?"

"Good girl."

'_Welp, cat's out of the bag, I suppose._' Corrin gestured with one arm to the estranged princess of Nohr. "Father, I present to you, Princess Azura of Nohr. Your daughter."  
Garon and Azura regarded each other coldly, as Corrin had expected. Azura held no familial affection for the mad king, and Garon held no affection at all.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," Azura spoke softly, her voice betraying nothing.

Garon hummed. "Azura… I never thought I'd see your face again. Continue to accompany Corrin in his war efforts. Think of it as a chance to see more of your homeland."

"..." Azura said nothing in response. Corrin supposed she was inwardly grateful he hadn't demanded she stay in Krakenburg.

"Speaking of which, I have a new mission for you, my son. There has been a rebellion in Cheve." Garon's face twisted into a scowl. "The Chevois are renowned knights, and are not to be underestimated. I am sending our standing army to deal with the situation, and I trust you to lead them."

Corrin bowed, "You honor me, Father. I shall see to the matter as per your expectations. Trust that when next we meet, I will bear the glory of our victory in Nohr's name. Your name."

Garon smiled his grotesque, self-satisfied grin. "Bring back good news, my children."

Corrin nodded, turning to his companions and allowing them leave. Azura left wordlessly, likely to find a quiet place to ruminate. He sent Kaze to make sure she was cared for. Azura could take care of herself, but Castle Krakenburg was hardly known for its welcoming environment. Peri asked if she could go training with Laslow, and the prince was just tired enough to oblige her. He needed a tea break.

[~~~]

Corrin let out a deep sigh as he reclined in his leather chair, a steaming cup of chamomile tea in between his hands. The private tea room he'd taken a liking to in Castle Krakenburg was the ideal place to unwind, with comfy chairs and plenty of peace and quiet. No urgent war alerts to handle, no orders to give out, just him, a cup of tea, and his two best friends.

"Felicia, your tea is delicious as always," he remarks, raising his cup to his beloved maid.

Felicia blushes, her cheeks flushing a color akin to her hair's. "I-It's nothing, milord! I may have trouble getting it to you, but I can make j-just fine."

"Just fine, indeed…" Corrin takes another slow, savoring sip. Felicia always got it just right. The perfect blend of tea, sugar, and milk, and served at just the right temperature. Jakob always made it too bitter, and too cold. Only Felicia could use her ice magic to keep it just hot enough by taking the cold into herself. Flora could theoretically do it too, but… Corrin had kept his distance from her. She handled her tasks around the camp with aplomb, but being in the same room with her had been unbearably tense ever since her heel-turn in the Ice Tribe village.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Felicia." Silas spoke up from his corner of the table. "You break cups and plates every so often, but you make up for it a hundred different ways."

Felicia pouted indignantly, "I know _you_ are just teasing me."

"I'm not!"

"Play nice, you two." Corrin said from behind his tea.

It was Silas's turn to pout, "I'm trying!"

"Try harder," Corrin said with a smirk.

Everyone laughed. It was so easy to relax with the two of them. He and Felicia had been friends since she'd been brought to the Northern Fortress years ago. He'd done his damnedest to help her ease into the role of a maid, and comforted her over the horrors of her imprisonment. Granted, it was Flora who had laid out in no uncertain terms that the two of them were being held as hostages. She'd never gotten over it. But Felicia took to the job with an enthusiasm that always brought a smile to the young prince's face, followed by a wincing grimace whenever she inevitably tripped and shattered something fragile.

He and Silas had, somehow, an even more complicated history. When Corrin was barely adjusted to living in the seclusive Northern Fortress, barely older than 6 or 7, Silas was brought as the child of one of the standing knights and the two were 'set up' as playmates. And they had _hated _each other. Corrin was the endlessly inquisitive and insensitive brat and Silas was the petulant older jerk who taunted his 'liege' endlessly. It wasn't until Corrin started tagging along on the page's illicit 'adventures' around and outside the Fortress that the two became what could be considered friends. Suddenly, Silas was revelling in his role as a mentor, and Corrin looked up to him as the first older brother figure he'd remember having. And then it all fell apart when they got caught, Gunter nearly executed Silas, and Corrin broke down into tears begging for his best friend's life. It worked, but they never saw each other again until the march through the Woods of the Forlorn.

And that brought with it its own complications, because now Silas was a fresh-faced and eager knight, overjoyed to reconnect with his best friend, and Corrin had become a cynical and prodigal warrior with a single-minded determination to achieve his goals. It was something of a role-reversal, with Silas trailing behind his former pupil like a puppy and Corrin looking down his nose at the knight. It took a bit for the two of them to find the same familiar groove they'd settled into as kids and be friends again, and Felicia's tea was the perfect thing to grease those gears.

"So, Corrin," Silas started. "How are things with Peri?"

Felicia leaned closer, arching an eyebrow curiously.

Corrin sighed. "She's exhausting. Keeping her in-line is a full-time affair, and problems follow her like flies on a corpse. Not to mention, it seems half of Nohr seems to think I keep her around for illicit sexual relations!" Corrin threw up his hand, scandalized.

Felicia rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't get how people can gossip like that. You're not that kind of guy!"

"THANK you!" Corrin sighed.

Silas chuckled. "Corrin, if anyone accused you of sexual misconduct, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't survive to see their next battlefield."

"That's putting it lightly," Corrin growled. "I'd have them drawn and quartered, after leaving them to Niles for a few hours."

Felicia shuddered. "Why do you keep him around again?" She hunched her shoulders. "He gives me the creeps!"

Corrin shrugged, "He's excellent at what he does. He and Mozu are our only bowmen right now, after all. And that Capture Chain is very handy."

Silas rolled his eyes. "Why _are _you so fond of taking prisoners, milord?"

Corrin narrowed his eyes. "Corpses don't do anyone any good. If I could keep every enemy soldier we fight alive, I would. I refuse to allow Nohr to continue to fertilize the ground with the bodies of the conquered." He looked down at his cooling cup of tea. "Everyone deserves a chance to live, be they soldier or civilian." The tea swirled, offering no answers to his philosophical dilemma.

"And that's why you're working with Peri?" Silas asked. He and Felicia shared a knowing look.

Corrin sighed, running a hand through his pink hair. He ran his hand up through it so often it resembled Silas's own. A nervous habit. "She's dangerous. Volatile. If she's not kept under strict watch, someone will get hurt, or killed. I can't have that on my conscience."

Felicia lowered her own teacup slowly. "...Where's Peri now?"

Corrin relaxed back into his seat. "She's training with Laslow. She won't cause trouble; the two are partners, he'll keep her in line." He closed his eyes for a moment, taking another sip of his tea.

Silas cleared his throat. "Right," he coughed, "because Laslow _never_ gets distracted."

Corrin's eyes shot open wide. "Shit." He shot out of his seat, his teacup clattering on the table, forgotten. "PERI!" He shouted, running out of the tearoom and down towards the courtyard.

Silas and Felicia let out a collective sigh. Felicia spoke first.

"He's got it bad." She got up and pulled out a napkin to wipe up the tea Corrin spilled on his way out.

Silas quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'it'?"

"Silas, you weren't around when Lord Corrin was going through puberty." Felicia began explaining.

That narrowed Silas's eyes. "And what does that mean?" He asked slowly. He knew the answer, but he needed to hear her say it.

Felicia sighed. "Lord Corrin doesn't invest his time in things that don't interest him. Jakob once tried to teach him to make his own tea, because he'd asked him to, and he was so impatient that he almost burnt the kitchen down! He'd left the kettle unattended, distracted by something he saw one of the servants carrying. He wandered off and completely forgot about the tea. Lord Leo once gave him a book on war strategy, as a birthday present: 3,600 pages, covering battles from the last several centuries." She looked Silas in the eyes. "He read it in a fortnight."

Silas let out a low whistle. "That sounds like the Corrin I've come to know."

"Then Gunter offered him a book on folk tales. 300 pages, for his studies. He thought it would help culture milord. He was still so curious about the outside world, after all. He'd love it, right?"

Silas laughed. "Did it even last the hour?"

Felicia spoke plainly, "He... didn't finish it for 3 months."

At that, Silas sat up. "Now I'm confused."

"He was bored! He hated how dry the storytelling was. He once asked me to read it to him, but by the time I'd finished a paragraph, he'd picked up a different book and started reading it without even thinking! If something can't hold his attention, it's not worth his time."

Silas nods along, but he hadn't forgotten where this was coming from. "And how does this come back to Peri?"

Felicia pursed her lips. "When you met Peri, did you think Corrin would have actually kept her around?"

"...No. I thought he'd send her back to Lord Xander within the moon."

Felicia nodded her assent. "And if it were anyone else but Peri, he would have. He's keeping her around because she's _interesting, _and he's training her to control herself so he doesn't have to let her go."

Silas was starting to see the picture Felicia was painting, and he didn't like it. "You're saying Corrin, Corrin 'Emotions are the enemy' Drakmire, middle Prince of Nohr, is _romantically interested _in Peri."

Felicia smiles. "If milord doesn't fire her within the next two months, I'd wager he'll ask her to marry him."

"You're kidding."

"I don't think he even realizes he's doing it! She's crazy, right? A literally bloody maniac. And he's kept her attached to his hip for a month now!" Felicia threw her hands in the air. "If he's still giving her the time of day, he must see _something _in her. And if he can see a human girl in a monster like that, he'd have to be close enough that they might as well already be married."

"So, if she's a monster, he'll fire her, and if she's human, he'll fall in love with her?"

Felicia sighed. "That's what I think, at least. You don't get to know a person as well as that without… seeing something, you know?" She cast her eyes at Silas with a knowing gleam in them. He stiffened.

"Knowing a person that intimately?" He offered.

Felicia smiled, a sad, lonely thing. "You and I both know what that's like, huh?" She laughed a little.

Silas slumped back into his seat. He looked down at his tea, but he knew it would taste bitter on his tongue. "Love sucks."

He'd spoken to his tea, but it was Felicia who responded. "Yeah, but that's life, right?"

* * *

**A/N: **tfw you love a guy but he's too busy babysitting a psycho to notice you. That's Silas and Felicia.

Thanks everyone for all the support you've shown this fic! I've gotten more faves and follows in one chapter here than I have in all the chapters of Heavy is the Head. Speaking of which, if it's not too much trouble, please, give my other fic a look! It's just an Awakening AU, but I've put a lot of time into it.

Expect Chapter 3 to be posted within the week~ I'm hoping to finish writing it up tonight, and then I'll hold onto it a few days before posting.


	3. Chapter 3: War Crimes

Chapter 3: Committing War Crimes is the Fast Track to Corrin's Shit List

=[Castle Krakenburg]=

To relax, people often take up a pastime.

Some prefer to abandon their responsibilities and do something spontaneous.

Others prefer to simply lounge in a soft chair with a hot cup of tea.

If you're Prince Corrin Drakmire of Nohr, you relax by chasing down the deranged lunatic you've assigned yourself to babysit before she kills someone.

Oh, wait, no you don't, because that's your _job_, that only _you_ can do, because everyone else has proven either to be incompetent (your brother, her partner) or simply isn't good enough for the job (everyone else).

"PERI!" Corrin screamed, dashing out into the training yard of Castle Krakenburg, skidding to a stop just in time to distract Peri from impaling a terrified group of soldiers.

She'd just been about to bullrush them with lance raised when she turned to him with a smile. "Hi Corrin!"

"Peri, what are you doing?" He raised his hands as he spoke, as if calming down a crazed animal.

"I'm training, just like you said!" Peri lifted her lance with an innocent cheer, as though she weren't about to stab and/or trample the poor Nohrian foot soldiers that were currently scrambling out of the arena like it was on fire.

"I told you to train with _Laslow_, where is Laslow?"

Peri pouted. "He went off somewhere, I think he was going to flirt with a maid." She put a finger to her chin with a look of contemplation. "Or did he say he was going to have a shirt made?" She cocked her head, trying to recollect his parting words.

Corrin sighed, lowering his hands. "Peri, I can't have you attempting to kill our men; that was why I had you supervised."

"I wasn't gonna kill them," Peri cried. "I was just gonna stab 'em a little."

"Stabbing _kills_ people, Peri!"

"Nuh uh!" She protested, "I've been stabbed plenty of times and I haven't died once! If they can't survive a little roughhousing, they shouldn't be in the army!"

Corrin took a breath to steady himself and sighed, "I suppose you have something of a point, but… Peri, if you scare away the soldiers or kill them, we won't have any troops left for the army."

"How am I supposed to train if I'm not stabbing anyone?" Peri looked positively downtrodden not to be shaving years off of some fool's lifespan… or shaving skin off their bones.

Corrin sighed again. Only one option, really. "I'll train with you from now on; clearly I can't count on Laslow to take my place." He drew his Yato sword, settling into a flexible combat stance. "Have at me!" He cried.

Peri grinned, and charged him with a giddy laugh.

[~~~]

Organizing an army for march wasn't a simple task. Even with as many subordinates at his command as he had, Prince Corrin still had found himself running around Castle Krakenburg like a headless chicken, Peri ever at his side.

Thankfully, there were also moments where the two could simply wander while others took care of the tedium. Corrin had just been complaining about the travel rations they would be forced to eat on the march when he was called to.

"Prince Corrin! Milord!" A gruff shout echoed up the stairway they'd been ascending.

Corrin froze, plastering on the most saccharine smile he could muster for the human potato known as- "Hans. Killed any loyal Nohrians lately?"

"Hi Hans!" Peri waved cheerfully from Corrin's side.

"Did you need something?" The prince cocked his head. "There's about a million things I'd rather be doing right now than talking with you," he said, still smiling with sickening sweetness.

"Like talking with me!" Peri chimed in, hands behind her back as she watched Hans.

Hans backpedaled, cringing as he spoke, "I heard rumors tell that you would be leading us. Congratulations, milord." Hans prostrated himself like any dog, proverbial tail wagging.

Corrin sneered. "And you will be joining us in quashing this rebellion, Hans?"

"As a member of the standing army, I've been ordered to aid you in whatever task you request of me."

Corrin smiled, a venomous and predatory thing. "Good! I request that you stay out of this affair entirely. Sit back, relax, and think happy thoughts while the big boys do the talking, okay?"

Peri laughed as she watched Hans flinch at his words. "Heehee! No fun for Handsy Hans-y!"

"A-a thousand apologies, milord. I understand you may… feel resentment, after our last mission-"

Corrin scoffed, "Wherein you instigated needless conflict, murdered one of my retainers, and assaulted a Nohrian prince?"

As Corrin glared daggers at the general, Peri gasped, "Hans! You hurt Corrin?!"

Hans took a further step back, raising his hands defensively. "I was testing you, milord! King Garon commanded me to-!"

"Shut up!" Peri snapped. "Hurting Corrin makes you a bad guy!" She drew her lance, dropping into a low stance as she raised it at him. "And I _stab _bad guys!"

Corrin put a hand up to stop the girl, his face stony. "Peri, not now." He straightened and glared down his nose at the man. "If you so much as step one foot out of line outside these castle walls, Hans, I shall see to it that you have no feet with which to step again," Corrin snarled, "Are we clear?"

Hans eyes darted from the point of Peri's lance to coldness of Corrin's eyes, sweat beading down his massive wrinkled forehead. "C-crystal."

Corrin smiled again. "Good! Because if you don't, I'll have Peri personally eviscerate you."

"And I'll enjoy doing it, too!" Peri returned to a standing position, holding her lance skyward while pouting at Hans.

"Thank you, Peri." Corrin gestured down the hall with his head, "Now, come along." He turned on his heel towards the barracks, with Peri right by his side, leaving General Hans behind to watch them go.

=[Nohrian Southroad]=

The march towards Cheve was wholly uneventful. The barren Nohrian landscape wasn't worthy of sightseeing, and the less Corrin thought about the desolate townships they passed through, the better.

The scars of Garon's despotic rule were plain to see across the land.

And plain to taste, if the hardtack was anything to go by.

Prince Corrin of Nohr scowled through another bite of stale bread and cheese, choking down the dry cracker and bitter dairy as best he could with help from his waterskin.

Most Nohrians would kill for a meal that could fill the belly such as this, so Corrin told himself.

"Hey Corrin!" A shout from behind him sent the prince into a coughing fit. He could barely stand to swallow hardtack under the best conditions, to say nothing of being startled mid-swallow.

"P-Peri!" He coughed, pounding his fist to his chestplate to dislodge the crumbs from his throat. "W-what is it?! Why did you-_ackh!- _what is it?!"

The twin-tailed girl beamed with a toothy grin. "I gotchu somethiiiiing!"

Finally able to breathe again, Corrin straightened up, narrowing his eyes at her. "What did you get? And why did you have to interrupt me while I'm eating?"

"Weeeeell~" Peri drawled, "You were talking about how much you _hated _travel rations-"

"I do."

"So I thought!" Peri pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich. "To make you somethin' nice!"

"Is that-?" Corrin's jaw dropped as he took the dark bread lunch into his hands.

"A sandwich! Corned beef on pumpernickel! Long-lasting and perfect for travel!" Peri leaned forward at the hip as they walked. "Do you like it?"

Drool slipped out the corner of the prince's mouth before he took his first bite, his face lighting up as he melted with the flavor.

"Hee hee!" Peri jumped with joy, pumping a fist in the air. "I'll take that as a yes~"

Corrin paused in his eating to smile at his companion. "Thank you, Peri. This was really thoughtful of you."

Peri giggled. "I toldja! I'm a wiz in the kitchen, and now I've proved it!"

Corrin laughed. Yes she had, he supposed, before taking another bite. _Gods_, but the flavor was divine~

=[Cheve Border Wall]=

"Alright everyone, it's time to put together our team for negotiations with the Chevois knights," Corrin looked around the table at his trusted circle of advisors, siblings, and subcommanders. Camilla, Azura, and Elise stood at the long table to his right, giving varying degrees of interest to the meeting at hand, from Camilla's rapt attention to Azura's 'I really wish I wasn't here right now' expression. To his left, Kaze, Felicia, Silas, and Niles stood at attention. Felicia was in charge of the healer corps; she always knew where to be, how to strike, and who to heal. Kaze and Niles formed a team for tactical espionage and subterfuge; disabling or extracting enemy targets was their specialty. Silas was the second most capable subcommander after Camilla; he had led more men in more battles than anyone else, and his rapport with the Nohrian foot soldiers was unshakable.

And at his side was Peri, because wherever he went, he was bringing her with him. For the safety of the army, of course.

"I volunteer!" Elise leaned over the table, her hand waving in the air.

Corrin sighed, cautiously amused. "As long as you remember what happened last time-"

"Uh huh! I'll leave the introductions to you!"

"Good girl. Feel free to interject if your heart tells you to; If the Chevois will listen to anyone, they'll listen to you." Elise nodded, pumping herself up with a determined pout and fists held close to her chest.

"Why don't you ever call _me _a good girl?" Peri said with a pout.

Corrin flinched. Not the kind of thing he wanted people to hear in public. "Not now, Peri," he hissed.

"Brother dear, I _insist_ on coming with you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I can't let my darling little siblings walk into danger alone," Camilla drawled.

"I understand," Corrin said with a nod. "I was going to ask you to come along anyways. You'd bring the regal presence of the eldest Nohrian princess, and the power of one as well."

"Just leave some of the baddies for me to stab, okay, Lady Camilla?"

Camilla giggled, "Of course, Peri, I wouldn't dream of it."

"Kaze, Niles, Felicia, I want the three of you on standby while we Parley. Azura, you'll provide them with support in case we need them somewhere fast. Silas, you'll be back at base with the main force. At my signal, be prepared to bring the full might of Nohr down. It's a last resort, but we don't know what might happen during negotiations."

The rest of the table nodded their agreement with some words of assent, or just a poignant stare from Azura, and the plan was set.

It was time to meet with some rebels.

[~Cheve~]

The streets were empty, and unnaturally quiet. Corrin had expected as much; the Nohrian Army hadn't been quiet in assembling at the border wall, and the nation was in open rebellion. Popular or not, the citizens expected conflict, and hid or prepared as they saw fit.

"Not a soul in sight," he remarked quietly.

Elise twisted her staff in her hands nervously, standing behind her brother and sister and peering out at the quiet town, blonde drills hanging off her head as did. Peri, at Corrin's side, kept her eyes peeled for any soldiers to kill.

"Brother dear, must we do this at night?" Camilla asked, standing on Corrin's other side, gaze sweeping across the town. Her lavender hair wafted lightly in the Chevois breeze, and she brushed a lock out of the way of her good eye. "A lady needs her beauty sleep, and I daresay we could all use the rest before engaging these rebels."

Corrin shook his head. "No, meeting during the day would only increase the chances of civilians getting caught in the crossfires. Even if all the rebels have retreated to their safehouses for the night, we could at least learn the lay of the land this night."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, _brother dear?_" A voice snarled from behind one of the buildings. A _twang _rang out into the night.

Corrin stepped back, bringing up his sword just in time to deflect an arrow. Prince Takumi of Hoshido as he stepped out from the shadows. Both princes grit their teeth as their eyes met.

"Damn, I was aiming for your traitorous head," he spat, squaring his stance on the cobblestone street. His long gray ponytail whipped out behind him as the wind picked up.

Corrin stepped forward, sword held aloft in case he needed to block once more. "Takumi, I don't know what you're doing here in Cheve, but I will forgive you this assault if you walk away. We are here to Parley with the Chevois Knights."

Camilla and Peri both moved in front of Corrin, his sister snarling, "Stay back, Corrin. It's too dangerous."

"Anyone who hurts Lord Corrin gets a stabbing!" Peri cried.

"Hiding behind your women, are you?" Takumi scoffed, "What a coward!"

Corrin pushed past Camilla and Peri. "Stop this, Takumi. This matter is of no concern of yours or Hoshido's. This is to be a negotiation between Nohr and Cheve. Lay down your bow and return to Hoshido where you belong."

"Hah!" A new voice rang out as a crimson-armored woman with short blonde hair emerged from an alley. "'Negotiation'?! You Nohrian dogs only know how to negotiate with blades. You will never suppress our righteous rebellion!" She spat.

Corrin put one hand up in pacification. "If I've angered you, stranger, I apologize. I've brought my sisters and retainer here to Parley, nothing more."

"The name's Scarlet, and I'm calling your bullshit!" The knight in red stepped up to Takumi's side, pointing an accusing finger at the Nohrians. "My people have been tracking you ever since you crossed the border. The Hoshidans were more than happy to hear about your army's movements."

Camilla shook her head. "Betraying your sovereign nation to the enemy? Quite the little traitor, aren't you?"

Takumi snarled, "Traitor? Ha! Scarlet's done the same thing Corrin did, only SHE chose the right side! Joining the enemy and fighting your homeland… sound familiar, _brother_?"

Elise stepped out from behind the others. "Quiet, you! Corrin didn't betray anyone!" The princess stood proudly, her tiny fists to her hips. "We just wanna stop these wars and make peace instead. He's the best brother in the world, and you shouldn't say such awful things about him!"

Takumi snapped, drawing the Fujin Yumi's bowstring. "Who let this brat speak? You're so annoying!"

Silence reigned as Takumi fired his legendary bow at the youngest princess of Nohr, knocking her back. Scarlet gasped in shock, as Corrin threw up an emergency flare in a panic.

"You monster!" Camilla turned on Takumi with her axe held ready. "How dare you harm Elise?!"

Corrin screamed at his blood brother, "Attacking an unarmed healer during Parley?! Any chance for this uprising resolving peacefully has just died by your hand, Takumi!" He turned to the others, shouting orders. "Camilla, take Elise to meet Felicia, Azura is sending her over. Peri, with me! We're retreating to the border wall."

Camilla stopped and turned to her fallen sister, sheathing her axe and scooping her up in one swift motion, sprinting back to the others.

"L-lord Takumi, what the hell were you thinking?!" Scarlet cried, turning to look at him, only to be met by the prince's dark expression.

"The sight of that Nohrian brat was making me sick. Just die already!" He snarled, dark fire in his eyes.

"Every Nohrian in the country is going to hear about this!" She argued. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Every soldier in their army will be frothing at the mouth to have revenge for their princess!"

Takumi scoffed indignantly, while Corrin snarled. The princesses had successfully retreated, Elise cradled in her sister's arms.

"How many more people have to die for peace, Takumi?! How bloody do your hands have to be for you to be satisfied?!"

"QUIET, NOHRIAN SCUM! I'm going to kill you all, and bring peace back to Hoshido!"

"You will answer for your crimes, first!" Corrin sneered, and looked to Scarlet. "This is what you've allied yourself with, rebel. Remember that."

Peri hopped in place, gripping her lance tight. "I hope you're scared! Because this is gonna get bloody!"

The Nohrian prince and the cavalier retreated, and the Hoshidan prince spun away, marching back to the rebel troops. Scarlet, Knight Commander of Cheve, stood in the middle. She looked down at the ground that, before this conflict could end, would be soaked in the blood of Nohrians, Hoshidans, and Chevois alike.

She lifted her head and marched after Takumi. Freedom always had a price, after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Well this certainly took longer than expected! Thank you to everyone for the faves, follows, and reviews! The support has been pretty stellar. Please, feel free to leave a review of what you think of this chapter! I know it's a little short, but the Cheve Rebellion itself will take a chapter of its own.

If you want to hang out with me and other fic writers, come join our discord server! Narwhal Lord runs it, and he's a good friend of mine.  
/9XG3U7a


	4. Chapter 4: The Suspension Bridge Effect

Chapter 4: The Suspension Bridge Effect, But With More Stabbing

_Step. Step. Thrust. Slash. Retreat. Parry. Thrust._

Big Brother Xander had always said Corrin treated combat too much like a dance.  
_Parry. Parry. Thrust. Step. Step. Thrust._

In his opinion, Xander didn't treat it _enough_ like a dance.

With a twist of the hip and flick of the wrist, Corrin disarmed and incapacitated another Chevois soldier. Behind him, loyal Nohrian troops cried out to the heavens. "_For Elise!_" They called, raising their weapons in righteous fury.

None of that mattered to Corrin. Elise was healing; the rest of them had fighting to do.

_Thrust. Slash. Parry. Step. Parry. Thrust._

Really, it was quite simple to face off against armored knights. The Chevois could employ whatever trick training they could, but the fact of the matter is, with their limited movement range and reliance on lances, one armor knight would always fight with the same constraints as another. Corrin sidestepped away from the Chevois's lancepoint and ducked into the knight's guard. Latching onto knight's weapon arm and pulling in, the rebel was helpless to stop the prince's blade from cutting through the gaps in the plate, crippling the man. The man was left to crumble under the weight of his armor as Corrin surveyed the battlefield.

The Nohrian army had yet to cross the river, Corrin's men focusing on holding back the aggressive Chevois-Hoshidan assault. While Corrin himself led Peri and Effie against the knights guarding the eastern bridge, a team consisting of Niles, Kaze, and Mozu with Arthur as support fought off the mages, or rather, diviners to the west. Mozu was drawing off against a somewhat familiar Hoshidan with purple hair and flowing robes as Corrin found his attention drawn swiftly back to his current position.

_Kzzztchk! _He'd been too distracted to hear the arrow being fired, but he was more than aware of Peri shielding him from an attack from Takumi himself. An arrow of light crackled from inside her shield, the blow twisting the metal beyond functionality. The girl threw down the crumpled steel and snarled at the Hoshidan prince, who despite all rationale, looked ready to charge at their position.

But just because it was an irrational idea, didn't make it a bad one. In fact, Corrin was nearly left flat-footed to come up with a counter.

"Peri, I'm going to need you to run Kaze over here. Can you do that?" He said under his breath.

But _nearly _flat-footed wasn't nearly enough to trip up the middle prince of Nohr.

Peri grinned, a half-gleeful and half-vicious bearing of teeth. "I'll be right back. I owe him a good bloodying!" With a wink and a kick to her horse's flank, she was off, leaving Corrin to back up to Effie's position.  
"What're your orders, captain?" The pink-clad knight grunted in her usual husky tone.

"Strategic retreat. We've got an archer advancing on our position. Prince Takumi."

The girl hummed. "What kind of archer leads from the front?"

Corrin dropped into a loose defensive stance. "The kind that could tear your armor to pieces from a hundred yards. He'll be aiming for me, so cover my back."

"Aye aye, sir. I'll be your shield!" Effie yelled, slamming her tower shield to the ground behind them.

Corrin smirked. Takumi may be ahead of him, but with Elise's strongest retainer at his back, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone coming from behind.

[~~~]

Niles fired another volley into the line of Hoshidan mages approaching the wall. He clicked his tongue as one of their numbers dropped; he couldn't throw out his chain recklessly if he wanted to make a catch. The prince preferred to take as many prisoners as possible to keep casualties down; an interesting challenge, as Corrin so often posed.

Beside him, Corrin's new shadow tossed sleek knives from under his sleeve. Kaze was as dutiful as he was silent, and such a dour fellow had made for interesting banter off and on the battlefield.

"You know," Niles drawled. "If you took a little initiative, we'd have an easier time with this."

"I am merely following your lead, Niles."

Niles felt his lips curl. "I'm supposed to be taking them out. If you make the first move, I can perform better."

"As you wish."

Hardly what Niles would call a victory. The man was like a stone. At least now, Leo's retainer thought, they could make more progress on hauling these Hoshidans in.

He had just bagged another diviner when a lovely interruption rode in.

"Kaaaazeeeee! Corrin needs you on the other side!" Peri came in, hollering like a baboon and waving her lance around like shit about to be thrown.

And just like that, the ninja vanished, with Peri returning to her master's side like a bloodhound from the hunt.

Well, at least Niles still had the girl and the goof for company.

"FOOOOR JUSTICE!" Arthur shouted from Niles's right, heaving a handaxe with woeful inaccuracy.

"Quiet, Arthur! I'm tryin'a line up a shot!" Mozu hissed from the other side of the boastful retainer.

With a sigh, Niles fired another arrow. At least they weren't boring.

[~~~]

Takumi laid fire down on the Traitor Prince of Nohr, bombarding him with the Fujin Yumi's conjured arrows. He couldn't dodge or block forever. For every swing of the Yato he stole, he would tire, and then the young prince of Hoshido would claim victory, and his head.

_Everything will go back to normal once he's dead. We'll win the war, and Hoshido will know peace again. Mother will be avenged. Nohr will fall. Corrin will die. Die. Die, die, diediediediediediedie!_

"You can't run from me forever, traitor! I can't wait to parade your corpse around for your whole wretched family to see!" Takumi aimed true with his bow, every shot aimed directly for the vitals, but his target refuses to cooperate.

Corrin only responded with a smirk and another deflection. "Who said anything about running?"

Takumi's mouth opened to shout some more, when Corrin's pet serial killer arrived. She swung a sword around like a wild woman, and Takumi was forced to jump back.

"I remember you! You hurt Elise, and tried to hurt Corrin!"

"Buzz off, you annoying little-!"

Apparently, this Peri girl was just who Corrin was waiting for, because now he rushed in on Takumi's position, forcing the sniper back. He brought the divine yumi up to block their onslaught, catching sword and katana against its limbs. The two fought in sync, one striking high while the other swept low, but Prince Takumi refused to yield, though he did lose ground.

The archer prince leapt away through the air, drawing an arrow and firing. The Nohrians stepped back, giving Takumi enough space to draw again. However, before he could loose his arrow, a streak of pain ripped across his bicep. A snarl ripped out of his throat as he caught sight of the culprit, another turncoat from Hoshido. "Kaze! You damn traitor, stay out of my way!"

Kaze only watched on with a steely look in his eyes as Corrin and Peri capitalized on the distraction. Takumi staggered under the weight of their sword swings, bleeding into his armor. "Why…" he gasped, "Why can't I beat you?!"

From the Chevois side of the river, a cavalry of knights came to the prince's defense. "Protect Lord Takumi! The Nohrians can't be allowed to take the bridge!" Takumi was pulled upon a horse and spirited away from the field, left to watch as the horsemen challenged the Nohrians that were supposed to be his to kill.

"Peri, your lance!" Corrin shouted, pulling out his Double Katana to face the charging cavaliers.

"I got it! Wait, wha-!" Peri reached for the lance strapped to her saddle, but couldn't pull it off before the horses reached them.

Corrin grunted, stepping closer to her as he blocked a lance shaft with the long handle of his blade. The weapon had been one of the more lucrative acquisitions from the Siege of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. It may as well be renamed Knight Killer; it was the perfect weapon against cavaliers. With a twist and a slash, Corrin dismounted two of the cavalry by cutting down the legs of their horses, opening an opportunity to come to Peri's aid.

She snarled as she pushed her sword against that of the enemy knight. Her swordsmanship wasn't on par with her lancemanship, and it showed as she was left unable to break her opponent's guard. Corrin charged the cavalier with his katana, giving her an opportunity to grab her lance. However, as she drew it forth, another cavalier charged her with his lance already raised, knocking her from her horse and onto the bridge floor.

"PERI!" Corrin raised an arm and leapt at her attacker, spearing him with a Dragon Fang. Skidding up to Peri, the prince raises his sword and smashed the blade against that of the remaining cavalier, parrying and slashing his horse's neck. Before the knight could recover, Corrin brought his palms forward, calling the dragonsblood in his veins to morph a great maw from his hands and firing a sphere of destructive water. He didn't need to look to see the smear of blood he'd reduced the soldier to.

Corrin turned and quickly assessed Peri's injury. Her shoulder was bleeding badly, and she didn't look like she could move. Frustrated tears poured down her face and she grit her teeth in pain.

"I've got you, don't worry. We're retreating for now." Corrin set her up on her horse's back and swung himself into the saddle. He patted the mare's neck soothingly. "Your master's hurt, Nemesis," he murmured into Peri's horse's ear. "Let's be quick."

With a kick, Nemesis leapt into a gallop, carrying Peri and her liege back towards the Border Wall, where Nohr's best healers could see to her wounds.

=[Cheve Border Wall]=

"Corriiiiiiin! I can wash myself!" Peri whined, squirming in her seat upon the washroom stool.

"After the incident with Selena? I'm not allowing you near the communal baths again." Corrin wrung out a moist towel between his hands and set to washing Peri down.

Too stringent to be bothered with matters of propriety, Prince Corrin had insisted Peri bathe with him, so that he could personally see to cleaning her after the battle. The healers had given her the all clear after patching up her stab wound, but she was not being allowed to take care of herself on Corrin's direct orders.

She didn't have to be happy about it. She wasn't a child!

"Selena started it! She should have watched her big dumb mouth if she didn't want a knifing!"

"Where were you even _keeping _a knife?!"

Peri giggled. "A lady has to keep _some_ secrets!" She threw a sly wink over her shoulder, much to Corrin's confusion.

Corrin rolled his eyes before resuming the task of washing down Peri's back. Water and suds cascaded down her bare back as he worked the washrag across her skin. He couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander… Peri's back was covered in scars. Puncture wounds, slashes, and deep gashes were marked across it, as well as her shoulders and arms. Arrows, swords, axes, magic, all had left the discolored, raised or indented, skin of a scar. She hadn't been injured this badly before under his command. How many battles had she ridden into under Xander's command? How long had she been fighting to be made into a canvas of violence?

"Heehee! You know, it was pretty dreamy how you came to my rescue like that. You were all like, 'PERI!' and then went all dragon-y and butchered those guys! And then we rode off on Nemesis into the sunset~"

"You're imagining things. Your heart rate was elevated as a result of your injury, that's why you think I was 'dreamy'," Corrin put extra emphasis on the last word, drawing it out incredulously. "And we didn't ride into the sunset; it was past midnight when we engaged the enemy."

Peri pouted. "Can't you let a girl have a little fun while having your way with her?"

"Stop saying things like that and I just might."

Peri harrumphed. Corrin wasn't giving her anything to work with! He didn't have to be such a stick in the mud all the time.

The bath was silent for a while as Corrin finished scrubbing Peri's back. He lifted her left arm to clean under it, when he spotted a particularly faded scar. Hesitantly, he traced a thumb over its length.

"You wanna know how I got that scar?" Peri smiled. "That was from the first servant I ever killed! He was a real jerk, and I didn't like him one bit. He got me in the arm, but I got him better! Heehee! Being so small had its advantages: I was at the perfect height get him right between the legs!"

Corrin winced. "You were just a child?"

"Uh huh." Peri's smile fell. "It was… a month after Mommy died. And all the servants… they all looked alike."

Corrin struggled to find his words. "Peri…"

He shook his head, putting it out of his head. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. She must have been a wonderful woman."

"She was the best!" Peri bounced right back. "She baked the best sweets, and she sang the prettiest lullabies." She turned, giving the prince a wistful smile. "I miss her a lot."

Corrin returned the smile. "Yeah… I miss mine too."

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter 4! I didn't get as far into the plot as I'd like. I intended to finish the chapter with Hans doing as he does.

Hey bros is it platonic to bathe together and wash a friend's back, like as friends?

Leave a review with your thoughts! I'm quite happy with this one


	5. Chapter 5: Cowardice

Chapter 5: Cowardice

[Sevenfold Sanctuary, 3 months earlier]

A dark gray head poked out from behind the tent flap in the Nohrian camp at the base of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. Hissed in hushed Hoshidan, a nimble scout guided her fellow escaped prisoners through the enemy territory. Dark eyes darted around to make sure the guards didn't catch them.

"Chiaki, are you sure our weapons are in this direction?" The younger of the two samurai in the escape party murmured under his breath.

The scout in the lead nodded once. "The guards always carried new weapons when coming from this direction," she answered, keeping her voice down. "No more talking. We can't be sure the shifts won't change."

Just a little bit further, one last stretch before the prisoners could retrieve their gear and return to the Hoshidan line. The shrine maiden trailing along behind the three warriors wrung her hands; it would be too easy for the Nohrians to catch them, helpless.

"Ah, there you are!" A calm voice called from just ahead, right in front of the armory tent. Not five steps from their goal, the traitor prince with hair the color of camellia flowers sat in front of a tea set, nursing a steaming cup.

Prince Corrin looked up and smiled at the escaped prisoners. "Would you care for some tea?" He gestured in front of him, the space opposite him free. He waited, and watched expectantly as the escaped prisoners stared.

[Cheve, present day]

Scarlet scowled, gripping the shaft of her axe tight. The second day of fighting with the Nohrian army, and Hoshido had already pulled out. Takumi was injured and retreated, and the other two generals lay dead. It was just the Chevois left.

Fine. She preferred it that way. Let no one say that Scarlet, Knight of Cheve, faced down her enemies with anything less than righteous fury.

As she led her mount down to meet the Prince's forces, Scarlet smiled. If she was going to die today, she would die with her axe in hand.

[ ]

Corrin ran through his mental list. Peri was right beside him. Camilla was securing the northwestern bridge, keeping enemy wyvern reinforcements from harrying his ranged attackers. Elise was safe and recovering at the Border Wall. Niles was behind cover, Capture Chain primed for the inevitable engagement with the rebel leader.

_And here she comes._

Riding high and fierce on a great wyvern, Chevois Knight Scarlet swept through the sky. And she had company. Corrin's forces quickly found themselves harried on all sides by the wyvern battalion. Arrows and dual shuriken flew from Niles and Kaze's positions, Camilla moved south to provide backup, and surely Mozu and Arthur weren't far behind her. However, that still left the prince and cavalier to face down with the furious enemy commander.

Corrin forced back an over-hand axe swing with the Yato blade, gritting his teeth as he pushed Scarlet back.

"Nohr will oppress my people no longer! FOR FREEDOM!" She snarled, pulling back in an air-tight loop for another swing. This time armed with a proper sword, Peri intercepted, locking her iron blade underneath the axehead. Corrin rushed in, swinging for the base of the wyvern's wing while Scarlet was trapped in bladelock. Scarlet disengaged as her mount swept its wing out to break Peri's stance, but rider and mount were forced to stay landlocked with the gash cut into its left wing.

"We have to keep her busy, Peri," Corrin growled under his breath. "Don't even bother trying to go for the kill, just focus on staying alive."

Peri certainly didn't seem enthusiastic about the prospect, but nodded regardless.

You would think two sword wielders would make short work of an axewoman, but Scarlet was determined to prove that some theories are made to be defied, deftly defending her grounded position from Corrin and Peri's assault. Her stance shifted on a dime, from one-handed to two-handed as necessary to block, swipe, and strike at her opponents. Constantly, Corrin found himself having to dance backwards on the grass to avoid being cleaved by her wicked axehead. Practical engagement wasn't working. He'd have to get creative. Catching a flash out of the corner of his eye, Corrin smirked and dropped to one knee.

Scaled wings sprouted from his back as he leapt forward, surprising Scarlet with an aerial attack of his own as he smashed into her side from above, still failing to cut her with his sword as she blocked with the shaft of her weapon. Still, Corrin kicked off of the wyvern's back with a flip, before raising a hand behind him and morphing a Dragon Fang out of it, propelling himself back down with a watery blast, smashing through the wood of Scarlet's weapon and cleaving a mighty gash into the plate of her armor.

As Scarlet recoiled from her injury and Corrin landed on the ground behind her, a dangerous rattle resounded through the air as an arrow slammed into the rebel leader's side, and a massive glowing chain trailing behind the shaft wrapped itself around her and her mount.

"W-what is this?!" Scarlet wrenched her shoulders to and fro to try and escape from the grasp of Niles's Capture Chain, to no avail. Niles stepped out from his spot in the bushes, Kaze close behind.

"Fancy footwork there, milord," Niles intoned with a smirk and a twirl of an arrow between his fingers. "For a moment there, I thought I wouldn't get an opening."

"This is a heavier load than you're used to transporting, Niles. Are you sure you can bring the prisoner and her mount back to base?" Corrin quickly surveyed his troops as the battle wound down. All heads were present and accounted for. There was some noise coming from the east, but that could be dealt with later.

"NEVER FEAR!" Arthur's usual boisterousness rung clear through the night air. "I would be happy to lend my aid in all manner of physical labor!"

"I refuse to be taken prisoner, Nohrian dogs!" Scarlet protested, snarling and biting at her captors.

Corrin was just about to remind her that she was in no position to argue when the screaming started.

Corrin's head whipped around to the eastern half of the town, only to gape in shock as it had already begun to burn. A great, bloodcurdling scream echoed through the streets, sending Corrin in a mad dash to see just what the hell was going on over there, Kaze and Peri close behind.

"Death to all who defy the great king of Nohr! GAH HAH HAH HAH!" To the surprise of nobody at all, least of all Corrin, Hans had arrived on the scene and set about doing what Hans does best; raping and pillaging. Underneath his boot was a half-naked boy, weeping and with blood seeping out of wounds all over his body. With a howl of victory undeserved, Hans smashed his foot down, crushing the boy's skull underfoot.

"HANS! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Corrin screamed as he rushed onto the scene, rage contorting his face into what must have surely been an ugly, twisted mess.

"Haha! Don't worry milord! I'll save some of the _prettier_ lasses for you!" Hans stepped down from his human pedestal, twisting a fleeing girl's arm with a lustful grin. "You should do nicely…"

Corrin snarled, and reached for the hilt of his Yato, when he was yanked backwards by the shoulder. The prince turned in shock to see his sister Camilla, lilac hair dancing in the heat of the flaming town as she shook her head.

"This is truly a horrid sight to behold, dear brother. But we must retreat."

Corrin grimaced, baring teeth. "You would let this violence stand? This… mad dog to go on a frothing rampage?!"

"If Father learns we defied his orders, he'll have us killed without hesitation. We must report back to him quickly."

Corrin wrenched free of her grasp, turning on his sister. "How can you be so calm in the face of this atrocity?"

Camilla's face was sad and resigned. She'd already given up. "I grew numb to these things long ago. I cannot say why Father gives these orders, only that he would kill me in an instant if I disobeyed. And he would kill you too. If you value your life… bury these feelings. Let them die."

Corrin swallowed. It was a difficult thing to do, for how much he wished to wretch. "I yield to your counsel, sister." He brushed past her shoulder, stopping for a moment. "You're my sister, Camilla, and I love you…" He looked past her, towards where his soldiers were evacuating the unmolested citizens. "I hadn't taken you for a coward."

"Kaze, Peri, let's move. We need to evacuate as many citizens as we can before Hans has his way with the rest of Cheve." Kaze nodded swiftly and vanished, but Peri stood stalk still.

Corrin looked at her, confused. She was staring ahead at the carnage, her face utterly blank. It was unnerving, to say the least. Tentatively, he reached out for her arm. "Peri, we must-"

She pulled away, eyes wide and panicked. "AaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Like a wild animal, Peri raced forward, her sword forgotten as she reached up and pulled a concealed dagger from within her pigatils.

Corrin whipped around, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "PERI, STOP!" She thrashed against his grip, waving her arms around wildly. The prince couldn't get a good look at her face, but she clearly wasn't going to listen to reason. Corrin struggled to get an arm around her shoulders, to keep her still before she hurt herself or anyone else. An elbow found its way into his shoulder, nearly sending him off her. Loosening his grip slightly, Corrin allowed Peri to pull away long enough that he could get a better hold on her, getting an arm around her shoulder and immobilizing at least one of her limbs. The hand that swung around a dagger madly was still free, and the prince hadn't the energy to notice when he stopped being able to see out of his left eye.

"Peri, listen to me!"

The girl hadn't stopped screaming bloody murder, but now her hoarse cries sounded much more like sobs, as thick streaks of mascara ran black lines down her face. Still, she couldn't look away as blood spilt and flames danced in the ruins of Cheve.

[Cheve Border Wall]

Droplets of water dripped down to the floor of the dank cell underneath the Nohrian-occupied Border Wall between Cheve and Nohr. Rats scurried about in the moist environment, making their homes in the cracks and crevices of the dungeon.

A lone figure sat against the wall of an occupied cell, battered and bruised. The figure's head lifted when the sounds of footsteps echoed through the chamber, muted thumps and splashes unindicative of the average military footwear.

The figure couldn't help but grin when she saw the face of her interrogator.

"Nice scar, prince. One of mine give that to you while you burned my home to ashes?" She cackled mirthlessly.

"No, Scarlet," Corrin sighed, tracing a finger down the vertical scar over his left eyelid. "I didn't come to discuss battle wounds, I came here to talk."

[Notre Sagesse, three months earlier]

Scout Flier Chiaki of the Hoshidan army sat uncomfortably across from the Traitor Prince Corrin. Slowly, she took a sip of the cup of tea laid out for her. It was light, flowery. Chamomile?

"You're probably wondering why I'm here right now," the prince began. "You're probably wondering why _you're_ here, why I haven't thrown you back into the prison tent."

The young Sky Knight nodded hesitantly.

"I'm not here to imprison you once more; I'm here to talk."

"Why should I listen to the words of a traitor?" The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. Corrin only laughed.

"You don't have to! But you'll be able to return to the other Hoshidans if you do." He spoke pointedly, as if this were all obvious. As if the enemy commander hadn't set up tea in front of the armory, expecting his prisoners to escape and find their way there.

"...Why are you letting us go?" Her first question. Really, her only important question, if she were being honest with herself.

The former prince of Hoshido and current prince of Nohr sighed. "Because I don't believe in the needless loss of life. I'd much prefer if we all walked away from this war more or less intact."

"That's… that's absurd! The Nohrians murdered our Queen, your _mother_, and you side with them, and claim pacifism?!"

"I am no pacifist." Corrin looked up at the young soldier, red eyes burning with something indecipherable. "If you'll recall, I was the one engaged in melee with you when you were captured. I don't deny the blood on my hands, only that that blood was needless."

Chiaki once again couldn't stop the words on her tongue. "Queen Mikoto didn't need to die."

"And her death is not on my hands," Corrin responded without missing a beat. "In fact, I don't believe anyone is guilty of her murder except for Garon and the man who took my sword."

"You admit your king's guilt."

Corrin laughed again. "My father is guilty of many things. He will answer for his crimes, in due time."

Chiaki took a moment to process that. She took another sip of tea. "What do you want? With me, with us? With Hoshido?"

Corrin sighed. He'd been expecting this question. "I want you to return to the frontlines, to my sister-" _Don't call her your sister, you rat! _"And, if they've the equipment to spare, which I don't doubt they have, and I want you to keep fighting in her defense. I don't want Hinoka to die, after all."

"I don't understand," Chiaki cried, unable to help herself. She shot out of her seat and slammed her palms on the table. "What do you get out of this, Traitor Prince?!"

Corrin simply watched her, entirely nonplussed. "Well for one, I get the weapons you had on you. Nohrian supplies are woefully short, and Hoshidan weaponry is of a more versatile make than the Nohrian standard."

"And why let us escape? Why _allow us_ to meet you here?"

"Because…" He carefully considered his words. "I'd like for our nations to know peace, when this war is done. So I offer you your freedom, as a show of good faith."

Chiaki's eye twitched. Was this a game to him?

"In fact, I have something else to offer, to show you I truly mean to prevent the needless death of anyone, on either side of this conflict." From beneath the table, Prince Corrin retrieved a Hoshidan rod. Far behind where Chiaki sat, Miki gasped. That was probably her rod, confiscated when she'd been captured.

Corrin gestured with the rod, and the shrine maiden scrambled forward, taking it in her hands and cradling it like a child. "I want you to take this with you when you return to Hinoka. On one condition:" He held up a finger. "Stay away from the front lines. It wouldn't do for me to send you off with your life only for you to lose it to some random soldier."

Miki nodded, quickly and gratefully, while Chiaki could only watch in befuddlement. "Why?" The flier asked. "She'll just be healing our men to send back to fight you!"

Corrin's eyes betrayed nothing. "If so much as one soldier survives this battle because of her healing, I will be satisfied."

"...You're strange, for a Nohrian general."

Corrin only smiled. "Why, thank you!" He turned to the shrine maiden. "Can I trust that you'll honor your word? That you won't return to the front lines until this battle's end?"

Miki nodded swiftly, "I, I promise! Thank you, sir!"

Corrin nodded in return, and set his cup down. "I've given my men clear instructions to allow you through to the enemy front. And tell Hinoka, I'll be seeing her soon."

As the others hurried to leave, Chiaki looked back at the Nohrian Prince. He had picked his cup back up again, staring into it contemplatively.

_I won't let you hurt Lady Hinoka, Prince Corrin… But, I suppose now I see why she speaks so fondly of you._

[Cheve Border Wall, present day]

"Why am I alive, Prince? While Cheve burns, why spare me?" Scarlet spat.

Corrin, worn out from the day's fighting, knelt down to eye level with the former rebel leader. "Because, Scarlet, I need your help."

Scarlet scowled, disdain lining every inch of her face. "And why should I trust you?!"

"Because if you do, I'll give you your revenge. Garon will die, and I want you to help me kill him."

* * *

**A/N: **Happy New Year everybody! I'm glad I was able to get this chapter out to you all in 2019!

This marks the point where Madly In Love officially moves to M rating. Unfortunately, there was no avoiding this change without dulling the impact of Hans's crimes. I hope no one comes away from this chapter worse off for it.

If you like my work, come join our Fanfic Discord Server! /MDD6DtT

My friend Narwhal Lord set it up, and you can thank him for this chapter coming out when it does. Without his challenging me to write in the month of December, I wouldn't have gotten it out when I did.


End file.
